Cable clamp



April 24, 1928. 1,666,885

' A. O. AUSTIN CABLE CLAMP Filed Oct. 14. 1927 Inventor ABTHUJ? O. AUSTIN By I Attorney Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR O. AUSTIN, or BARBERTON ol-flO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, or MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CABLE CLAMP. I

Applicationfile d October 14, 1927. Serial No. 226,108.

My invention relates to a cable support and particularly for supporting a messenger or catenary cable from a cross span wire, or it may be employed for merely connecting together two angularly disposed cables or wires. The object of my invention is to provide a simple, eflicient and easily applied device for holding two angularly disposed cables, or wires in fixed relation without injury there- Another object of my invention is to hold such cables in fixed relation, but out of contact or engagement with each other.

Another object of my invention is to support one cable from another in such manner that the supporting faces of the device which engage the cables will possess length and conform to the sag Or bend of the cables.

. My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts herein described and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of my invention in assembled relation, but with the partsslightly separated for better disclosing the details. p i

Fig. 2 is a top view of my invention shown in'Fig. 1 and, if rotated ninety degrees,

would represent the bottom view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is the inner face view of the lower supporting element in Fig. 1, and also represents the same withrespeet to the upper supporting element. 1 H I :Fig. .4 is a top view of the intermediate element shown in Fig. 1. r

In the past it has been customary, where two cables are to be secured together in fixed relation andat an angle to each other, to

contact the cables with each other, and hold them together by some form of clamping means, which would bring great pressure upon the cables to prevent their slipping. This .is far from an ideal condition, because the area of contact of, two cables crossingv each other is very small and the pressure per unit area can be made very high and usually is, which tends to'severely distort the cable which is composed of a plurality of wires, I Further, cables-secured together as just described arein time liable to take on a'slight pivotal action relative to each 'oth'er,'wh1'ch means, under the great pressure applied, that there will be a considerable abrasion of the contacting surfaces.

Due to the detrimental results of such a construction, considerable attention has been ing cables in fixed relation'without distorting the cables or injuring them any more than absolutely possible. This is particularly desirous in such construction work as employed in connection with high tension'lines, catenary construction of trolley lines, etc.

In my invention I. not only maintain the cables'in separated relation, but the supporting surfaces thereof are of extended length and the supporting surfaces of the device I employ are such as to prevent the distortion of the cables to any great extent, and also offer a saddle like construction, which conforms to the bend of the cable at the point of connection, thereby preventing injury to the cables at the extreme ends of the saddle.

In my preferredv embodiment I employ a lower supporting element 1 and an upper vwith a straight central portion or seat 5,-

and the ends are extended into grooved lips 6 bent downwardly or upwardly with respect to the elements 1 and 2 respectively. This construction offers a seat for the cable which will conform, to a large degree, with the curvature of the wirefand avoid sharp corners on the seat and bends in the cable at the ends of theseat. Each member 1 and 2 is provided with four holes 7 and 7, 8 and ,8. The members 1 and 2am arranged to be placed assembled with their saddles positionedat ninety degrees to each other, if the-cables to be connected are disposed at right angles to each other.

When the members 1 and 2 are positioned in clamping relation, the holes in one memher will register with the holes in another member for the reception of the U bolts 9 and 10 inserted into the holes from opposite endsof the device and'obliquely disposed with reference to the axes of the cables and also disposed at ninety degrees with respect to'each other.

' This construction offers a very compact with each other, as pointed out, the interme dlate member 11 1s employed which has two transversely disposed seats 12 of groove shaped formation, and or such length as to 5 vof the saddle members.

The extreme ends of the. seats 12 are roundedslightly to prevent a sharp. edge atthispoint.

Whenthedevice has been installed, it will be, appreciated that the member 11 acts pure 1 y,.as a spacer between. the cables. and also offers. aim-elongated bearing surface, thus reducingthe pressure per unit areaupon the cable without decreasing .the eliiciencyiot the gripping action.

Toinstall my inventionitis necessary to remove .the. nuts from the U shaped members and to separate the parts and then the device .may. be. assembled with respect to the cables by..first positioning the member 1 with respect tothe, lower cable to besupported, thenpositioningthe lower U bolt 10in its proper place, .then. positioning the intermediate member. .11 and then the upper clamps ingmember 2,. after which thepnuts .maybe applied to the U bolt 10 and drawn up. until correspond withthestraight portion or seat thecables are clamped slightly. The upper U bolt .9.is now placed in position and the nuts applied thereto and d "awn up andlikewisethenuts on the U bolt. .10 until proper tension has been applied to the. parts.

It. will. be. evident that the described method of applying can be variedit desired.

Afterthe device isinstalled. theupper cable, whichrests in theupper .seat- 4,, will support the device and. also the lower cable which rests in the seat 4: of the lower cla1nping element.v Fromthis it .willbeseen that the. seat zin the upper. element conforms to thesag in the upper cable. and the seat'in the lowerelement willconform to the sag inthe low-er supported cable.

By referringv to. the drawingit will be evident that. if the grooved seat. in the upper or lower clamping member is rotated about the ..verti,cal axis ninety degrees, that the seats in the upper and lower members will be in alinement with respect toa common plane,.and'-if one of the angularly disposed seats .in the intermediate. member 11 is rotatedninety degrees these seats willbe. in

.alinement, and, in that. case;the,,.device is applicableinholding together in. fixed relationftwocables. which are disposed in the same,..plane. The clamping of two-cables position in the same vertical ',plane.is also common practice in the construction of the catenary trolley lines and in high tension work, and, therefore, the. substance. of my invention can be applied for such work also.

There are modifications which will sug gest themselves to those skilled in the art, therefore, IQwish to be limited 'only by my claims.

I claim:

1. A clampfor crossed cables comprising aclamping. member with a seat therein to receive and rest upon the upper cable, a clampingmember with aseat toreceive the lower cable. and support thesame an intermediate member positionedjbetween the cables andhaving aseat toreceive'each cable and. means: engaging the .lirstv twoclamping members to draw them, the cables and. the intermediate member intoclamp ed, and fixed relation. v

2. Ar clamp l'or crossed cables comprising a clamping, member with. .a seat therein. to receive and rest upon the upper ca-ble, a clamping. member. with a seat. to receive .the lower. cable and. support the. same, an. intermediate, memberv positioned between, the cables and. having a seat to receive each cable anda pair of .oppositely disposedU shaped bolts positioned inplanes. angularly disposed to each other to drawtheclamping members,.. the intermediate .member and the cables into clamped and hired relation.

3.v A clamp for holdingtwo cablesin fixed, relation comprising a' clamping v memher with a grooved seat .thereinto receive one cable, a clamping member with a grooved seat. to receivethe other cable, an.intermedimember positioned. between. the cables and having a grooved seat to receive each cable and a pair of'oppositely disposedUfshaped bolts positioned inplanes angularlydisposed to, eachother to draw the parts and cables into clamped. and fixed relation. v

5. A clamp for holdingtwo cables in fined relation comprisinga pair of oppositely disposed clampingmembers each having a grooved seat in tlie inr er tace, curved a nd grooved lips trbm each end-jot each seat roaming a contlnuatlon or the said seats, anv intermediate member having seats to registerrand cooperate with-the first said seats t r eiv nd grip t 1 b e .p itiens sitely disposed clamping members each hav- 1 ing a grooved seat in the inner face in alinement with the cables, an intermediate member havlng seats in alinement with the cables and to cooperate with the adjacent seats in the clamping members to receive and grip the cables in spaced relation, and a pair of oppositely disposed U bolts having their legs disposed between the crossed cables to draw the parts together in clamping relation with the cables.

7'. A cable clam comprising means to clamp two cables t erebetween, and a pair of oppositely disposed U bolts each disposed in a plane angularly disposed to each other and to the planes of the cables. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR O. AUSTIN, 

